06/05/10 Green Monday - a Day for Good Decisions

Animal Friends starts a long-term campaign sponsored by the City of Zagreb

Green Monday is a campaign by Animal Friends and the City of Zagreb to help people improve their health and the health of their environment by adopting a plant based diet one day a week.

With this campaign Croatia has joined the campaign which is already implemented in many countries in the world. Gent in Belgium was the first city to introduce one vegetarian day a week, an example which was followed by Sao Paolo in Brazil, Tel Aviv in Israel, Cape Town in South Africa Republic, as well as other cities in Australia, Great Britain, Canada, Finland, USA, Brazil, Netherlands and Taiwan.

By launching the Green Monday campaign Zagreb becomes the first Croatian city to join this worldwide campaign. Zagreb's Green Monday starts on Saturday, June 5, 2010, at the VeggieFair on King Tomislav Square, on World Environment Day.

On this occasion the mayor of Zagreb will sign the Green Monday Declaration, which will officially announce the beginning of the Green Monday campaign. Since the City Office for Agriculture and Forestry and the City Office for Health and War Veterans will also join the campaign, the principals of those Offices will also be present with the mayor.

There are five reasons to introduce Green Monday: it is healthy, good for our planet, it helps to reduce world hunger, it is good for the animals and it is very tasty!

According to the World Health Organization, 90 per cent of Croatian population consumes less fruit and vegetables than the recommended amount. Institute of Public Health Dr Andrija Stampar states that every other citizen dies of cardiovascular diseases, which can largely be prevented by a change of diet. Meat increases the cholesterole level, as well as the risk of some forms of cancer, diabetes and obesity.

According to the UN reportpublished on June 2, 2010, the production of food, especially animal based products, affeccts 70 per cent of the world's drinking water consumption and 38 per cent of total exploitation of agricultural areas. The production of food is responsible for as much as 19 per cent of total greenhouse gas emissions, which is more than the total world transport. Therefore, as the report says, the only possible reduction of man's negative influence on the environment is the choice of a plant-based diet.

Angela Cropper, UNEP Deputy Executive Director, stated: "On World Environment Day, we hope people everywhere become more conscious of the world behind the products we buy and the impacts they cause, often on the other side of the world. Our aim is to inform business, policy makers and consumers about environmental impacts of our every day consumption."

To make it easier for citizens to introduce Green Monday into their lifestyle, the web site www.zeleni-ponedjeljak.com has been launched. The site contains information on the advantages of Green Monday for the human health and the environment, as well as recipes which will help citizens make every Monday a Green Monday.

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Animal Friends is a non-profit, non-governmental organization, founded in 2001 with the aim to promote animal protection and animal rights as well as veganism, as ethical, ecological and healthy lifestyle.
Animal Friends Croatia is a member organization of EVU,
Eurogroup for Animals, ECEAE, FFA, IAFC and OIPA.